I'm reading "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari. It's a really good read so far, starting off with the evolutionary "victory" of Homo Sapiens over other prehistoric human species, and going through the "cognitive revolution", the "agricultural revolution" and the "industrial revolution".
One of the more interesting threads through the book, however, is the question whether over the course of human history, as we've become more and more populous and dominant as a species on the Earth and more and more "advanced" and "productive", have we become happier, on average, at an individual level? And what does or doesn't make humans happier?
We're statistically, and pretty much globally, safer than we've ever been. We're at lower risk of violent death from other humans (including both wars and local crime) and animals than we've ever been. We're at lower risk of death from famine or drought or starvation than we've ever been. We're at lower risk from maternal death in childbirth, infant mortality, childhood illness than we've ever been. Modern medicine has eradicated many diseases, extended life expectancies, and expanded palliative options for physical and psychological pain.
But are we happier? To what extent is our happiness impacted by our DNA and/or "body chemistry"? To what extent is it dependent on the delta between our expectations and our reality? To what extent is it dependent on the strength, depth and number of our human connections, including love and marriage, parents and children, extended family, community? To what extent does it hinge on spiritual belief?
And what, if anything, should we be doing or not doing as societies (through governments or otherwise) in an effort to drive or facilitate human happiness?
One of the more interesting threads through the book, however, is the question whether over the course of human history, as we've become more and more populous and dominant as a species on the Earth and more and more "advanced" and "productive", have we become happier, on average, at an individual level? And what does or doesn't make humans happier?
We're statistically, and pretty much globally, safer than we've ever been. We're at lower risk of violent death from other humans (including both wars and local crime) and animals than we've ever been. We're at lower risk of death from famine or drought or starvation than we've ever been. We're at lower risk from maternal death in childbirth, infant mortality, childhood illness than we've ever been. Modern medicine has eradicated many diseases, extended life expectancies, and expanded palliative options for physical and psychological pain.
But are we happier? To what extent is our happiness impacted by our DNA and/or "body chemistry"? To what extent is it dependent on the delta between our expectations and our reality? To what extent is it dependent on the strength, depth and number of our human connections, including love and marriage, parents and children, extended family, community? To what extent does it hinge on spiritual belief?
And what, if anything, should we be doing or not doing as societies (through governments or otherwise) in an effort to drive or facilitate human happiness?
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